ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. march — the month
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. staff — employees
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com